


a secret looking for a place to spill

by anxiousmillennialcatboy



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Anxiety, Breakfast, Carrying, Crying, Cute, Dorks in Love, Ear Scritches, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gender-Neutral Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Grinding, Literal Sleeping Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Medication, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Nightmares, Nonbinary Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Oral Sex, Other, Panic Attacks, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Patch 5.4: Futures Rewritten, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sleepy Cuddles, Unnamed Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-19 07:40:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29871351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxiousmillennialcatboy/pseuds/anxiousmillennialcatboy
Summary: Picking up right where Futures Rewritten leaves off, G'raha Tia comes to discover the true toll the Warrior of Light's adventures have taken on them. And, well, if this is a time for learning things, there's something else the Warrior has been meaning to share.(Minor spoilers through 5.4, one large 5.0 spoiler alluded to (Crown of the Immaculate), vague Eden raid series spoilers in the epilogue.)
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	a secret looking for a place to spill

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written anything like this before, certainly not on this scale, but this game gave me catboy toxoplasmosis
> 
> the title is a line from a Mary Prankster song (Spill)
> 
> my gender headcanons for my own WoL are in flux and as a result I ended up half-by-accident keeping things vague from the neck down so whatever's going on down there here is ~reader's choice~ 
> 
> ffxiv has helped keep me sane since I started playing it last summer, this one goes out to all the players who are nice to sprouts, friendly to strangers, and chill in pugs

> _ > And I really could have done with a rest…_
> 
> "Then why not have one now? If anything happens, I promise I will come and wake you.
> 
> As much as I enjoy our adventures together, I am conscious of the toll they take. So let us gather our strength while we can, that we might rise to the challenges of the unwritten future."
> 
> -G'raha Tia, FFXIV patch 5.4, Futures Rewritten

He could still hardly believe it was real.

G'raha Tia sat back in a corner of the Rising Stones, taking everything in. A full-fledged member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, this was now where he belonged. Where he was _welcomed_ , as colleague and peer to those he'd long admired. For so long he'd had to find excuses to tag along, or other concerns had forced him to hold back, to stay behind, at arms' length. But now, he could just… go. Anywhere. He still had responsibilities, of course, but nothing near as pressing as the burdens he'd borne before. Never in his life had he been so free. And best of all, he was finally able to keep up enough to journey alongside the warrior of light.

Without the pall of impostor syndrome hanging over him - well, at least not nearly as much as before - he could notice things he hadn't before. Little details about the way they carried themself, habits and idiosyncracies. How they always took the mission seriously but still could have such an ease about them. Boisterous, sharp, and funny, constantly pointing out interesting sights along the way and peppering G'raha with anecdotes about things they'd done and seen in their prior trips through the area. They'd get so animated as they spoke, tail twitching like a house afire, sweeping hand gestures (Alisaie was well accustomed to dodging when necessary, while G'raha realized he needed to learn), and words spilling over each other when they really got going.

But there were quiet moments too. In Azys Lla, there was a stretch of time where Alisaie was off tending to… some thing or another, he couldn't quite recall. The warrior of light led G'raha on a detour, flying some distance over the floating islands until the two of them arrived at a small, safe patch of land, a vantage point that offered an absolutely breathtaking view. Both of them stood there for a while, side by side, in silence - G'raha overcome with awe, and the warrior of light allowing him to take it all in. He could sense there were a few moments where they'd considered saying something, then thought better of it, instead electing to let the moment stretch on. Some silly self-conscious part of him could have sworn that they weren't looking out at the landscape so much as they were watching him see it. When they did speak up, they nudged him, pointed over at a particular structure and asked if he happened to know what it was for. It was his turn to light up and ramble on, and though he was caught up in his own impromptu history lecture he remembered very well - perhaps even a little better than the view - the smile on their face as they listened intently.

It was a memory he felt he ought to keep close. A bright spot before things turned dire, before the stakes raised once again. Already, in the wake of these new revelations, the warrior of light looked a bit more like he'd remembered back on the First. A little slower, a touch more withdrawn, and noticeably wearier.

On that note, it had been a few hours since G'raha had suggested the warrior take a well-deserved rest, and with the lull of activity in the main hall, he felt compelled to steal away to Dawn's Respite to check on them.

They were in a cot at the end of the empty row, their back to the door, curled up and shivering as a tangle of blankets sagged down to the floor beside them. Quietly, carefully, G'raha walked up, retrieved the ends of the blankets, and draped them back over the sleeping hero. Only then did he notice that the cold was not the issue.

They whimpered softly, their breath ragged, a sheen of sweat across their forehead where their dark hair clung to their face. Hands balled into fists, teeth clenched, brows furrowed, ears flattened back. For a moment he feared they had fallen ill before it became clear this was a different sort of problem.

Finding no chair in easy reach, he gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do. Should he shake them awake? Would that cause further distress? Should he go fetch help, or not take his eyes off them?

The two of them were the same height, almost to the ilm, but in that moment the other miqo'te looked so small.

He reached out and ever so softly placed his hand on top of theirs. As if finding purchase on a lifeline, they grabbed it immediately, gripping it tight. A moment of calm washed over their sleeping face before their brows furrowed again, muscles tensing, breaths harder and more erratic, and they squeezed so hard their nails left divots in the meat of his palm. G'raha bit his lip to keep from crying out and desperately cast his eyes about the room, trying to plot his next move, when the door opened and Tataru, the angel of mercy, finally arrived.

He waved her over with his free hand. "Please, help," he whispered. "I've no idea what to do." She looked from him to their mutual friend, and though her eyes clearly held concern, they showed no trace of panic.

"Oh, the poor dear. It has been a rough few days, hasn't it."

"Does this happen... often?"

Tataru bent down to the warrior's bag resting by the bed, started rifling through the front pocket. "It comes and goes. I think it started in earnest after fleeing to Ishgard. At first we thought it had something to do with the Echo, but... " She frowned, closing the bag, having failed to find what she was looking for. "It's nothing magical or otherworldly, it's just… everything piling up, it has to go somewhere."

She stood up. "Stay there," she said, patting G'raha's knee reassuringly. "I'm going to look for something." She set a basin of water to fill in the sink and then off she went to the medicine shelves, pulling up a stool, quickly surveying the rows of labels. G'raha could feel the warrior's weight shifting behind him, the death grip on his hand mercifully loosened, and he turned to face them once more.

G'raha's cheery words from earlier in the day flashed back into his head. 'As much as I enjoy our adventures together,' he'd said, 'I _am_ conscious of the toll they take.' How presumptuous! How stupid! He could live for a hundred years, and--he had! _thrice_ that!--and never know a fraction of the hardships his friend had endured. The strain on their face… he recalled Mt. Gulg, how they struggled to contain the light, how it warped them, threatened to tear them apart from the inside, and they'd borne the burden regardless, with nary a word of complaint. And his foolish plan... to relieve them of it all in one grand gesture, as though it could be that simple, as if it would make up for everything. So naive, and yet... he found some part of himself wishing he could try the same thing now, some spell to excise the pain from his friend's heart, even if it meant taking it into his own.

He was shaken from this train of thought when the warrior of light began to stir once more.

"no…" They murmured, the sound barely clearing their lips. "please. please."

He started leaning forward, unconsciously bringing his free hand toward their head to soothe them, when they lurched upright with a strangled cry, eyes wide and wild, shoulders heaving as they gasped for air. From what felt like a world away he thought he heard Tataru fumbling a bottle.

"Are you--" he couldn't get the question out before the warrior wordlessly reached out and threw their arms around him, clinging tight, burying their face in his chest. It seemed like a reflex. He wasn't sure they were entirely awake. Slowly, tentatively, he put one hand on their back and the other behind their head, gently brushing his fingers through their hair, applying no pressure. Their breathing slowed, still shaky, still punctuated by an occasional sob, but their grip seemed to loosen ever so slightly, the desperate fear beginning to ebb. As the rest of the world faded back into focus around him, G'raha became aware that Tataru had returned. A basin of water, a small white towel, and a palm-sized green bottle with a faded label were set on a chair pulled from the other side of the room.

"I couldn't find the usual remedy," she said softly, craning her neck to see if she could glimpse the warrior's face. "So I made do with what we had. Are they still out?"

"I think so," he replied, and as his voice resonated in his chest their ears, formerly plastered to the sides of their head, gently twitched. He could see the end of their tail, which had lain limp for some time, flicker just once.

Their arms started to go slack. G'raha made ready to catch the hero as they tipped backwards but instead their hands remained loosely clasped together behind his back. They groggily opened their eyes, staring straight ahead for a moment before turning upwards to look at G'raha. He could only stare back, unsure of what to say.

"You all right, hon?" Their gaze snapped away to focus on Tataru, leaving G'raha with a mix of disappointment and relief.

"Mhm." They gave a loose, woozy nod, then readjusted as they gathered themself together a bit more and nodded again. Tataru dipped the towel in the basin and wrung it out, passing it over to G'raha. He took one hand away from their back, the other still cradling their head, and gently pulled the warm cloth across their forehead once, then over each cheek, then brought it back up and held it to their forehead with a slightly firmer pressure. They blinked once, long and slow, and leaned into his touch.

"I couldn't find your medicine," Tataru continued. "I have something close if you want it. Do you have more at home?"

"Yeah," they replied, eyes still closed. "I c'n go get it…"

She folded her arms sternly. "I don't think I should let you go anywhere until I see you sit up on your own."

G'raha shifted, carefully, to allow the hero space to sit beside him. They were trembling, but they remained upright as he slowly pulled his arms away. "See?"

"On your _own_." She gave G'raha a pointed look and he reluctantly stood up, dropping the towel back in the basin, never taking his eyes off the warrior in case they started to fall. They shifted their weight forward but still managed to keep steady… for a moment, anyway, before they began listing to one side. G'raha reached out to brace their shoulder, and they shrugged it off as they corrected their course.

Tataru cocked her head. "I'm not sure…"

"I won't go alone," they said, their words a little mushy at the edges. "Raha could come with me." They looked up at him, reaching out to put their hand on his arm. He was caught off guard hearing his name like that from them, casually as you please, and his face flushed the slightest bit as he cleared his throat.

"If it is their wish to recover at home," he declared to Tataru, praying his tone was bold enough to mask his nerves, "I would be glad to accompany them and make sure they arrive safely."

Tataru's expression softened. "Who am I to stand in the way of such chivalry?" She pushed the warrior's bag into his hands as they grabbed his arm in preparation for the teleport. "Make sure they _rest_." The slight smile on her face as they blipped out of sight was, to G'raha, somewhat worryingly unreadable.

The two of them reappeared by the aetheryte in the front yard of a modest cottage in La Noscea. The warrior of light dug out their key, shaky hands making finding the lock an ordeal until G'raha gently put his hand over theirs and guided it to the handle, helping them turn. The door now open, the hero's knees started to give way.

"Hup! No you don't, here we go," G'raha gathered them up in his arms, deftly maneuvering the miqo'te into what could only be described as a classic princess carry without a hint of protest from the other party. They leaned back into him, tucking their head under his chin, faintly flickering their ears.

Not two steps across the threshold, carefully pushing the door shut behind him with his foot, G'raha noticed that one wall of the kitchen was dominated by a tank containing a single, enormous orange fish, nigh as big as he was. He could swear he felt a weighty scrutiny in its gaze.

Cracking one eye open, the warrior held their arm out in a weak thumbs-up gesture toward the erstwhile doorman. "It's all good Greg," they said, just above a whisper, "he's with me." G'raha swore he saw the fish nod and the pressure seemed to lift.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he hesitated. "Okay," he said after a moment, "I would never forgive myself if I dropped you, so I'm going to set you down, but I'm still here, all right? I've still got you." True to his word, he gently lowered his charge to their feet, leaving one of their arms looped over his shoulders, their hand in his hand, and wrapping his free arm firmly around their waist. Slowly, carefully, the two of them made their way down side by side, G'raha staying vigilant with every step.

They both sat down at the bottom, G'raha unlacing his shoes and realizing in all the confusion the boots the warrior had been wearing were still sitting by the cot in Mor Dhona. He only worried for a moment before remembering that if he knew the hero half as well as he hoped he did, there were easily six more pairs lurking around here somewhere.

His arm absently draped itself over the hero's shoulders as G'raha took in the rest of the space. He'd never been there before, nor any other place his friend had truly made their home. It was.. not what he was expecting, necessarily, but certainly charming. Shelves lined with various trinkets they'd collected on their travels, gifts they'd received from those they'd helped along the way, mismatched lamps from here and there, a motley collection of chairs arranged in an arc before a fireplace. And flowers. So many flowers, of all kinds and colors, even a carpet and wall panel both absolutely covered in faux blooms, evocative of the fields in Il Mheg. The walls, he noticed, were covered in framed paintings, and there was a strange pang in his heart when he saw landmarks from the First.

He was shaken from his reverie by the warrior of light slumping into his side, head gently bumping his shoulder. "Ah. We should… find you somewhere to lie down." Glancing back at the chairs, there were a couple that one could describe as loveseat-sized, but nothing necessarily comfortable to stretch out on.

"In the back.." they murmured, face practically buried in the folds of his scarf. Once again he scooped them up into his arms and started walking to the other end of the basement. Tucked behind a half-wall was a sort of storage area, a vaguely controlled chaos of boxes and shelves laden with crafting materials and tools of war, and a wardrobe against one wall with one door hanging open, barely able to rein in its contents. Lined up before it, much like he'd predicted, were _eight_ different pairs of boots.

"Hey." They weakly butted their head against his chest. "Other way." He laughed softly and turned to the other side of the hall, through an archway hiding a tiny little nook with a bed tucked into an alcove in the wall. More flowers here, and in the corner, a pile of… stuffed animals? A handful more sat on the bed along with a small mountain of cushions. He gently nudged them aside as he finally set down his precious cargo.

"There sh'd be a bottle," they said slowly, "on the shelf up there. Blue one, cork stopper. Can you grab it for me?"

"Of course." He stood up, cautiously leaned over them to examine the shelves that were built into the wall right by the bed and sat back down once he had it in hand. "Shall I open it for you?" They nodded, and he worked the cork out before holding the bottle out to them, keeping his hand on it to hold it steady as they shakily took a draught and taking it back to re-cork it once they were done.

"Thank you," they said, shifting to sit up slightly and idly grabbing a cushion to turn over in their hands. "It'll take a few minutes but... that should help level me out. I try to keep some on me but the bottle I had broke and I hadn't had a moment to replace it."

"What is it, exactly, if you don't mind my asking?" G'raha felt a bit of relief at seeing some life start to return to his friend.

"Calms the nerves," they replied. "It's mostly an old classical remedy but Severian helped me tweak the formula a little bit. Works quicker, won't knock me out as hard, easy enough to throw together from things I can find out on the road."

"Is this something you need… often?"

"It's less that I need it all the time and more that I know I _will_ need it. There's another formula I can take if I can feel a panic attack coming when I'm awake, head it off at the pass, but this is the one when I'm well on the ride and need to get off. The emergency brake, I guess. If no one's around to ground me," they glanced up at him, sheepish but appreciative, "it can get a hell of a lot messier than this. So.. thanks."

"Of course. I'm just glad I could be there. I had no idea…"

"It's not something that really comes up in conversation unless it happens." They leaned forward, drawing the cushion they'd been fiddling with toward their chest. "And it's not something I can really, uh, predict. Besides, well… sleeping alone in strange places for the first time, that's not a surefire trigger but it definitely makes me uneasy. It's funny, the first night at the Pendants I had to pull the manager aside like, 'okay.'" They placed their palms together and pointed their hands forward toward the imaginary manager. "'What is the largest number of extra pillows I can ask for before it gets inconvenient or weird.'"

G'raha tried to stifle a chuckle. "And?"

They smiled. "Eight. Honestly like... five more than I was expecting! Great folks over there, really."

"Indeed, they're truly very accommodating. And discreet, I suppose, given there wasn't so much as a peep about the vaunted Warrior of Darkness' pillow fort."

They rolled their eyes, picked the cushion back up, and softly bopped G'raha on the head with it.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't be poking fun."

"No, it's funny!" They pulled the cushion back and leaned over it, clutching it to their stomach. "It's weird. Brains are weird. The things we have to do to rein them in are weird. All of that staved off by a few extra inches between me and the world. A little extra weight."

"An anchor?"

"...yeah. Yeah, exactly. An anchor. Sometimes the anchor can be a pillow fort, sometimes it's a person. And the anchor doesn't necessarily prevent the storms from coming, but they keep me from getting too lost."

"I see. And the storms… memories?"

They curled themselves up a bit tighter. "...sometimes. Sometimes they're distorted, built up, classic nightmare stuff. Sometimes they're about things that could have gone wrong. Sometimes things I'm still scared might go wrong." Their voice wavered. "People I've lost. People I came so close to losing." They swallowed, their voice straining even more, fit to break. "People I'm still so scared to lose."

"Gods, I'm an idiot." G'raha reached a hand out. "I kept prodding, I shouldn't have, I'm so sorry...."

They looked up at him, and when their eyes met his it was like a shot through the heart.

"...oh. Gods, I'm… I really am an idiot," he repeated softly. His hand hung frozen in empty space, unsure where to go.

The warrior of light grabbed his hand from the air, lacing their fingers with his as they brought it to rest on the cushion in their lap. "No no no, it's not your fault, I--" they sighed and squeezed his hand. "If I held a grudge against everyone who pulled stupid stunts like that, I wouldn't have any friends left. I'm guilty of it, too. No one could have known it'd result in… all this." Their words, meant to be reassuring, creaked under the weight of their exhausted voice. "Yes, you were an idiot. We're all idiots. It's fine."

"Still.. I... anything. Anything. If there's anything at all I can do to make it up to you, to ease the burden even a little bit, I swear--"

Suddenly they were gripping G'raha's one hand with both of theirs, eyes glimmering as they started to fill with tears in earnest. "No more dramatic exits." The dams were breaking, their voice rising to crescendo. "No more secret plans. No grand self-sacrificing gestures. Just..." Their face wrenched up, the last word choked out in a single sob.

" _Stay._ "

They let go of his hand, picked up the cushion again, hunched over and buried their face in it for a moment as he just sat there, stunned.

Finally, he gently placed a hand on their shoulder. "I promise." His voice was soft, serious, resolute. "I promise. Now and evermore, I'll play with all my cards on the table. No wild ideas. And you couldn't get rid of me now if you tried."

The warrior of light uncovered their face to look up at him, with just the faintest trace of a smile. They tilted their head to rest on his hand, their voice still a bit hoarse as they whispered, "Good."

Glancing away a moment, they took a deep, ragged breath, and once again looked him in the eyes, their expression not quite readable but certainly changed. Carefully, quietly, they spoke. "Since you're here, and we have the chance to speak freely like this…" They swallowed. "There is... something else I would ask of you. That I'd been meaning to."

"Anything. But say the word, and I am yours." He stumbled, and quickly added "I -- am ever at your disposal."

They shut their eyes for a moment in mild consternation. "Don't… don't say yes until you hear the request. Please."

"Of course. My apologies. Please continue."

"I…"

They spoke haltingly, trying to pick their words with care but also seemingly realizing they were almost out of runway, so to speak. The bone-deep weariness had given way to a nervous, almost delirious energy. "When I said stay. I meant it. But not just, like, 'don't die'. I mean, don't. Don't die. But… stay close to me. If it's not too big of an ask. Stay by my side. I said before that I need an anchor sometimes, and that anchor can be a person and.... you. You could be my anchor. You already are, right now, and I think you have been before without really knowing it at the time, and… and…"

"I know," they barreled on, "that you hold me in high esteem. And I'm flattered, I am, but you don't realize…" A pause. "No. I'm not going to talk myself down to build you up, that's a disservice to both of us. I don't need to. I _have_ done great things, and am capable of yet more, but... the same is true of you. You are… absolutely brilliant, and very dear to me, and…. sure, I may have the blessing of Hydaelyn, but you shine just as bright. No more pedestals. We walk the same path, we stand on the same ground." The warrior's cadence was strange, like their speech was strewn with half-remembered pieces of something they'd tried to rehearse.

They paused to take a breath, their tail flickering about wildly like a banner in a hurricane. "Nothing is going to make these nightmares go away completely. Not me, not you, not magic, not medicine, _maybe_ time, on a long enough timeline, but who knows. But when you're around, I feel… I mean... I... everything feels.. better." They tried to hide how much they were floundering. It wasn't working too well. They pressed on. "Having you there when I wake up, I just think…" They trailed off again, fidgeting, staring at their hands as they desperately prayed to the Navigator to either show them the way through this or strike them to the bottom of the sea. The pause was long enough for G'raha to finally speak up.

"You...want me… at your side…" G'raha, eyes already wide, raised his eyebrow just slightly. "...while you sleep?"

Their face went red as their eyes flicked to the side."UM. Wow, that. Sure does sound like what I'm asking, huh." Recovering after a moment, they met his gaze once again, still flushed. "But, uh… y..es? I guess?"

G'raha looked stunned. "This," he said slowly, "is quite a bit to process." He didn't turn away, though, instead leaning just a bit closer, one hand reaching out to gently cradle the side of the hero's head as they unleashed another nervous burst of rambling.

"P-please don't think anything else - your position in the Scions, our friendship, anything - is contingent on what you say, on my life I would never hold it against you if you wanted to drop the whole thing, I…" they trailed off as G'raha raised his thumb to gently stroke their cheek.

"Please," he said, his voice low and serious but no less warm. "Do not mistake my silence for hesitance. I just… I never thought…. I never dared allow myself to think…" Falling silent, he brought up his other hand to mirror the first. The warrior caught it before it reached its destination, a soft, loose grip around his wrist, and furrowed their brow at the marks on their palm.

"Gods, did I do this to you?" they murmured. G'raha looked sheepish. "I'm so sorry," they said, before bringing his palm to their lips and planting the gentlest kiss, then guiding it back up to rest on the other side of their face and letting go.

Silence, for a moment. An unbroken stare that held the weight of a century. Then, ever so cautiously, he started to tilt their face, his brows lifting with an unspoken '...should I?'

They nodded, and leaned forward, and when the two finally met in the middle it wasn't the frantic, hungry, 'canteen after a desert march' sort of kiss he'd half-expected from himself but instead slow, careful, indulgent, like stepping into a hot bath. They reached out, pulled him closer as he brushed back their bangs with one hand and ran the other through the back of their hair, up to their ears.

There was comfort, there was relief in this embrace. Like a house finally settling into its foundation. Lips fitted together like a matched set, hands knowing exactly where to rest. But each one's touch ebbed and flowed with a lingering hesitance. It was right, it was right, was it right? It was _correct_ , but was it _permitted?_ The two of them pushed through it, kisses growing a little sharper, hands roaming a little farther, currents slowly rising to a watershed.

G'raha pulled back, giving the hero a questioning look, unsure how to proceed. "So, I mean… what do you…. should we…"

The warrior of light held up a single finger in a "wait" gesture, then tapped it on his lips once before speaking, leaning in to punctuate their words with the occasional kiss.

"I want--" Once. "--to give you--" Twice. "--everything you've ever desired." A third, deep and slow, held for several measures before breaking away. "And I want--" moving down now, brushing their lips against his jaw "--everything you're willing to offer..." once more, softly, in the curve of the archon's mark on his neck. "But." head up again, eye to eye with him, finger back on his lips. "We should talk things out first, in a little while, when we're both awake and upright. Is that okay?" they lifted their finger away for a response, moving both hands up to rest on the sides of G'raha's face now.

"Absolutely."

"Good." They smooched his forehead before pulling back so they were aligned eye to tired eye once again. "But right now, right-right now… I want you to hold me close. And I want to rest in your arms, and feel safe. Is _that_ okay?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

"I try to make a habit of doing so, yes."

"Yes, of course," G'raha broke into a grin, beaming bright as the sun. "I would love nothing more."

"Good."

G'raha stood up to take off a few layers, the warrior of light not letting go but simply loosening their grip enough to let him move, their arms sliding down to loop around his waist as he rose. As he shifted, the edge of his grey tunic rode up to expose a few inches of skin, and unable to resist, the hero planted a quick kiss on his hip. They couldn't help but giggle fiendishly as he yelped.

"Sorry, sorr - pfft!" They backed away and laughed again as G'raha's tail swatted their face.  
The warrior set about piling up a nest of cushions with a practiced hand before pausing to put a finger to their ear. "Oh, one moment, I should probably check in." A faint chirp as the linkpearl connected. "Tataru? Yes, I'm fine, I'm home now. Going to need to take the next day, though. Emergencies only, no visitors. ...G'raha? Oh he was a perfect gentleman. He's going to stay here to keep an eye on me, actually, in case I need anything, so if you could mark him down as out of reach too…" They paused and winced at her reply, though still smiling. "Yes, I would prefer if you used your discretion to keep things, er…. discreet." A quick turn to G'raha. "Oh, there are blankets around the corner, could you be a dear..?" The back to the linkpearl, "I'd rather not cause a stir. ...oh, thank you. I'll be in touch when I'm ready to head back to see if you need anything on the way. Love you."

G'raha reappeared in the archway, stripped down to his tunic and smallclothes, a couple of blankets draped over one arm and a glass of water in each hand. The warrior froze in mid-task and stared, pupils wide, their tail thumping the bed, before regaining their senses a moment later. He handed them a glass and they drank without a moment's hesitation as he set the other one on the shelf nearby. They handed their glass back to G'raha for a moment before pushing themself to their feet to shimmy out of their trousers, toppling backwards onto the bed partway through.

"Easy, now!" G'raha quickly set the other glass down and knelt to help the warrior of light undress. He glanced back up at them, and as their eyes met the both of them blushed and glanced away. "Well." He stood back up, swallowing hard. "I'll attend to the lights, then we'll settle in, I suppose."

A short while later, the two of them had managed to find a comfortable arrangement under the heavy blankets. G'raha's arms enveloped the warrior of light as their head rested on his chest, tucked under his chin. Legs tangled together, breathing somewhat out of sync but still in an agreeable rhythm.

"So…" the warrior was the first to break the silence. "The nightmares. I don't know if it's going to happen again tonight. If it does… _whenever_ it does, now or months from now, you need to know that it's not because of anything you do or don't do. I told you before, they roll in like storms, and it'd be as foolish as blaming yourself for the weather. There's no controlling it."

"...actually, according to Allagan records, several scholars had made quite a bit of headway in the field of weather cont--" G'raha's reflexive response, irrepressible academic that he was, was cut short in alarm as the warrior's shoulders began to shake and they started wheezing and gasping for air. It wasn't until they looked up at him, tears in their eyes, that he realized they were _laughing_.

"I KNEW it! I knew as soon as the words came out of my mouth that you'd say something like that." They stared up at him, eyes full of adoration, a giddy grin across their face. "You _nerd!_ "

G'raha sighed resignedly, his smile just as wide. "Guilty as charged," he solemnly declared, pressing his forehead to theirs. "I humbly throw myself upon your mercy, that you might retain some fondness for me despite this."

"'Despite'?" They leaned back ever so slightly just to tip forward again and gently bump their head against his. "No, it's _because_ you're such a nerd I find you all the more endearing." They stole another kiss before settling their head back down on G'raha's chest. He chuckled bashfully and brought a hand up to ruffle their hair.

"I--" he stopped himself short. "Apologies, I should let you sleep."

"Nooo it's okay, I like hearing you talk like this." They flickered their ears. "It won't keep me from sleeping."

He trailed his fingers through their bangs, started gently stroking their ear. "I'm just… bemused, I suppose, by how cautiously you approached things. Why? You've had my heart in the palm of your hand since the moment you called my name."

"Raha," they purred, and he could not suppress the resulting shiver. "It's precisely because of things like that that I knew I couldn't just recklessly charge in." They stretched and shifted their head slightly, bringing it to rest right over his heart. "But that's a topic best reserved for the morning."

"Very well," G'raha planted a kiss on the top of their head.

A few minutes passed in silence before he began to hum, slow and soft and low, an old melody that had been passed down through untold generations of his family line. The warrior of light was lulled at last into a peaceful slumber, and G'raha Tia was not far behind.

As he slowly opened his eyes, he became aware that the weight on his chest was gone. The pang in his heart was cut short when he realized the warrior was still there under his arm, shifted to the side, propped up on one elbow as they gazed at him through heavy-lidded eyes. Their smile widened, tail lazily flopping back and forth in a metronome arc. "Hi."

"Good morning!" G'raha smiled back at them, happy but also uncertain of what to expect in the light of a new day. As if sensing this, the warrior of light leaned forward into another deep, slow kiss.

"So," the warrior leaned back again. "We should still talk things out, about.." they waved their free hand in a hazy arc in the air "all of this." They sat up, causing the blankets to shift and fall away a bit more. "But I couldn't help but notice something that may need addressing sooner than that."

G'raha's face went red as he followed their teasing gaze down to his own waist, a morning erection straining against the fabric of his smallclothes.

"I can step out and give you a moment to compose yourself," they said, "if that's what you'd prefer. But.." they gently reached out a hand to tilt G'raha's chin up, putting them face to face once again. "if you wanted me to take care of it for you instead, I wouldn't mind...."

G'raha swallowed. "T'would be quite foolish of me, I think, to turn down such hospitality."

The warrior sat back. "It would not." Their expression turned serious for a moment. "I don't want to presume your willingness is a foregone conclusion. And I don't want you going along just because you feel you have to, I--"

Now it was G'raha's turn to reach up, place his hand on their chin, brush his thumb over their mouth to halt their protestations as he leaned in close. "I want this. If anything starts to feel wrong, I'll speak up. But I want this." Closer still, the register of his voice dropping low. "I want _you_." He took their free hand in his, gently guided it down to his waist. "Please."

"As you wish," they purred, and slid their hand the rest of the way down over his smalls, giving the contents a tentative squeeze.

"Wow," they murmured, "I bet your body hasn't been THIS hard since--" G'raha sputtered and cleared this throat as the warrior of light dissolved into laughter.

Deftly as they could manage, they kicked a couple of cushions to the floor and turned G'raha so his legs hung over the edge of the bed, getting in a few deep and hungry kisses along the way. Then from the lips, to the jaw, to the neck - once more on the spot in the curve of the archon's mark - and a couple on the collarbone as they lifted up his tunic - not all the way off, just enough to reach his chest and continue their way down as they lowered themself to the floor and knelt before him. G'raha rolled his head back and whimpered as they left a kiss under his navel and paused, hot breath over his member, before hooking their thumbs into his waistband and resting their lips right above the root. He shuddered, his hips bucking forward just a bit, and they leaned away to pull his shorts off and lay everything bare.

No sly remark to be had, they simply rested their head on one of his thighs as they took his length into their hand and got a feel for it, all light, teasing strokes. They moved to plant their lips on his hipbone and noticed he was staring at the ceiling.

"Raha..." A mild admonishment at first, then plaintive and playful. "Raaaaahaaaa~" One hand gripped his forearm as the other stayed on his shaft, holding steady while their thumb traced circles on the head. "Look at me. Watch me. I'm here. You're here. This is real."

Breathing heavily now, G'raha craned his head forward and locked his eyes with theirs, bringing his free hand down to brush through their hair. Without breaking eye contact, they planted a soft chain of kisses across his pelvis and then closed in on the prize.

They stared up for a moment more before turning their gaze back down and taking his cock into their mouth. He moaned and rocked his hips forward again, cradling the back of their head in one hand and gripping the mattress with the other. Truly hitting their stride now, they looped both arms under his legs before grabbing his rear in both hands and giving a firm squeeze. Their head bobbed in and out in a steady rhythm, the pace guided by G'raha's hand, picking up speed. As things heated up he changed tack, bracing their head as he thrust back and forth into their mouth, and as his knees began to buckle from the overwhelming sensation they continued this newly aggressive pace on their own.

"Ah…. I…. I'm…" G'raha valiantly tried to string together some actual words through the heavy breaths and rising moans, to no avail. If the warrior had picked up that it was a warning to pull away, they willfully ignored it as he finally climaxed, letting him fill their mouth. He cried out as his hips jerked forward, back arched, rode out the aftershocks and then collapsed in a heap.

Slowly, the warrior drew back, stood up, took a long swig from one of the water glasses on the shelf, and then it was their turn to sweep G'raha into their arms as he caught his breath.

A few measures of contented silence passed. The warrior offered G'raha the other glass and gently steadied it as he drank, then set it back down and gathered him up in their arms again, kissing him on the forehead.

They leaned back a bit and brought a hand up to gently stroke the left side of his head, staring at something in particular with an expression he couldn't quite parse, before murmuring. "Hm… thirteen points?"

"I.. pardon?"

"Well typically you're at thirty, but it seems I've knocked you down to…" G'raha was bewildered until the warrior of light started tracing the clips in his hair with their finger. Normally in an X X X configuration, he had been disheveled to the point that their shapes were closer to, as the warrior read out aloud, "X..V.. I I. Seventeen. So… that _is_ a difference of thirteen, right?"

G'raha chuckled. "Yes, I suppose it is."

They smiled. "Not a bad first showing, I guess. Room for improvement. I'll continue striving for a new personal best. Shall I fix these for you?"

"By all means, please."

Ever so delicately, they took hold of the lowest one and sussed out how to remove it, then worked their way up one by one. When they released the last clip, they brought their hand away and the now-freed section of hair flopped gracelessly back into G'raha's face, covering his eyes, and the warrior could not help but laugh.

"Oh, no!" they gasped facetiously, "where has my Raha gone? He was just here…" 'Their Raha' could do naught but blush and laugh, and after a moment they swept his hair back again and gazed into his cherry red eyes. " _There_ you are," they smiled, and kissed him. "Thank goodness."

"Sorry to have worried you," he said.

The warrior of light held their position, as though completely oblivious to what they were in the middle of doing a moment ago, their eyes still studying his. The faintest wisp of apprehension passed through G'raha, a shadow from his earliest days, a ghost of the ridicule and scrutiny his strange glowing eye had earned him growing up. It diminished when he recognized the wistful warmth in the hero's gaze, and snuffed out completely as they spoke up.

"I remember," they murmured, "when we first met… when I could put a face to that mysterious voice… and you still just had the one red eye. I remember thinking… we sort of matched. Mirrored."

The warrior of light had odd eyes themself, though much more mundane - in truth, the mismatch was a common enough trait among miqo'te. One iris was a dark grey, so dark it might as well be black, and the other was a deep red - soft, almost like wine. And face to face, their red eye and G'raha's original Allagan eye had indeed aligned.

"And I wondered, for a moment, if it meant something."

"Only a moment?"

The hero turned their focus to the matter of putting G'raha's hair clips back in as they continued. "Yeah, then you started talking all high and mighty again and I remembered you were a pain in the ass." They smiled. "Absolutely insufferable."

G'raha was taken aback for a second, then started laughing. "Guilty as charged. I was trying so hard to be impressive."

"Ha! I was just as bad, egging you on with all your little contests. Gods, we were going at it like a couple of dipshit tias, eager to measure their-- well." They grinned slyly, sliding another clip into place. "Seems you've got me dead to rights in that department." G'raha sputtered and the warrior just pushed his head into their chest to steady him. "Hold still now! I'm almost done."

The last hair clip in place, they released G'raha and leaned back to inspect their handiwork, then nodded and gave a thumbs-up. "You look great."

"Do you have a mirror so I can--" the warrior's tail moved in his peripheral vision and he swore he heard a drawer sliding shut as they interjected. "Nope!"

G'raha laughed, decided to drop that subject and focused once more on the other one. "Why did you humor me like that? You didn't have to give me the time of day."

"Because it was _fun!_ " The warrior grinned, their tail swishing excitedly. "I hadn't had a rival like that in ages - not one that wasn't trying to kill me, anyway. It was petty and stupid and the stakes were nothing and I may've been annoyed at first but it was still so… refreshing."

G'raha blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes!" They tilted their head to the side. "Well. Sort of. All of that is true, but what I didn't realize until too late was there was, perhaps, another reason I couldn't pull my focus away from you, couldn't put you out of my mind, that perhaps what was absolutely driving me to distraction wasn't just the thought of winning our next archery contest."

The warrior's sheepish smile was met by a blank expression from G'raha. A beat, and then without a hint of guile, he asked, "Well… what was it?"

They stared back a moment, then burst out laughing when they realized he was serious. Pitching forward to bump their forehead against his, nearly bowling him over in the process, they all but shouted their response. "I was SMITTEN with you, you goose!" Despite the raising of their voice their smile was wide, their eyes soft. "All your posturing and braggadocio couldn't fully overshadow your charms. Hell, even those were cute, in their own way."

G'raha could only gawp in complete disbelief. "I… really?"

"Really really."

"But… you never said anything."

"I told you, I only realized too late. The expedition took a turn, we had to get serious, and then you… were gone. When you sealed yourself away I just sort of… sealed all those feelings away, too."

"I… I'm so sorry…"

They swept him up into their arms. "Don't be! You did what only you could do. If you hadn't... " They just shook their head. "It all worked out. You're here now."

"Gods, when I lied to you about who I was on the First, even after you'd asked after me…"

"Raha." Another gentle admonishment. "That's all in the past now. There was… a lot for me to sort out, I'll admit. I worried that you'd changed from the man I remembered, but more than that, I was afraid of not living up to what _you_ remembered. Measuring up to an entire century where all you had was the history of me, the myth." They reached behind his head and started idly toying with the braid in his hair. "But I think you've been around the real me long enough to adjust your expectations."

"And… had I? Changed, I mean."

"A little. But all those years? It'd be weirder if you hadn't. And I got to see you without all the bluster. See what you were capable of." They gazed at him with a dreamy expression. "How amazing you truly are."

G'raha blushed and opened his mouth to protest, but was cut short. "Nope!" The warrior stifled him with a kiss. "Nuh-uh." And another. "No arguments from you." Again, long and slow this time, their hands wandering along his back, and they came up for air one more time. "I am declaring a brief recess from serious conversation, starting now."

"Very well, I shan't object," and with that G'raha lifted the warrior of light and dipped them into a low, dramatic kiss.

And so they continued in this way a while longer, the two of them wrapped up in each other, carrying on like giddy teenagers until the exhaustion of the last few days caught up once again and they dozed off in each other's arms for another hour.

Waking up for the second time, G'raha had no cause for even momentary alarm. He felt the full weight of the warrior of light sprawled across his chest, snoring lightly into the crook of his arm. He smiled as he kissed the top of their head and started lightly running his fingers through their hair.

A few minutes later they stirred, yawning softly as they rolled over to lie stomach-to-stomach flat on top of G'raha, metronome tail starting up again.

G'raha brought both hands up and started rubbing the warrior of light's ears, grinning as they melted into a purring mess. "Hi."

"...grrmrrnnn.." they mumbled into his chest, totally limp.

"Gracious, to see a mighty hero so utterly undone…" G'raha smirked.

They flipped over onto their back, still leaning into his touch. "HnnItrussyou…" they took a breath and collected themself the tiniest bit. "Itrusshu t'use this power r'sponsbly.." The last syllable trailed off as they flopped to their side, curling up, tail thumping the mattress, completely blissed out.

"I promise, your secret is safe with me," G'raha said softly as he moved one hand down to stroke the nape of their neck.

"Mrahaaaaa…" they shivered, and he kept going, applying just the slightest bit more pressure. They shuddered, arched their back, desperately keening, "RAhaaaaaaa!"

He eased up as they bucked out of his grasp, wrapping his arms back around them, one hand cradling the back of their head. "Yes, love, I'm here."

The warrior of light pushed themself up on both arms, staring down at him, taking one steady breath, then a second, then ravenously descended. They swung a leg over to straddle his waist and started grinding against G'raha, half hard already, who arched his hips up to meet them. Hungry, desperate kisses peppered with soft play bites from the collarbone, to the neck, up the jawline, popping up briefly to nip at his ear, then closed in on his lips, hard and fast, G'raha keeping up just barely, both their mouths growing red and raw but only drawing away when the pace of their hips quickened and they needed more air. Harder, faster, crashing against each other like waves in a stormy sea until they both found release. Thus sated, the warrior drew back, heavy breaths slowly subsiding, and laid their head down on his chest once more. G'raha just stared blankly at the ceiling, totally dazed. After a couple of moments he slowly reached up and placed a hand to his temple.

"Twenty-five," he finally declared. It took a second for the warrior of light to figure out what that meant and then they doubled over laughing.

"Sorry," they wheezed, wiping tears from their eyes. "I'll help you look for the stray ones in a minute."

"Not to worry, I keep some spares on hand. Just in case."

"Oh, I see," they arched a playful eyebrow at him. "Does this happen often?"

He coughed. "Not, er, quite as such, no, I have to admit this is quite a new experience for me."

Their eyebrow went higher, and their expression softened slightly. "...how new?"

"Well," he said coyly, "I've only been wearing my hair like this since I came back." After G'raha's deft parry, the warrior decided not to press the question further. Instead they sat up, scooped him into their arms, and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"You good?" He nodded, then they moved to kiss the other cheek. "Breakfast sound good?"

"Breakfast sounds _amazing_."

"Mmmmokay." They sat still a few moments more, arms still around G'raha, forehead pressed to his, reluctant to move. "Okay." They leaned away, brushed back G'raha's hair, smiled at him, and slowly, slowly, untangled themself and stood up. Another kiss on the top of his head, a lingering hand on his shoulder, gradually extricating themself from his gravitational pull. With considerable willpower they finally made it to the doorway. "Washroom's at the end of the hall, I'll be done with it in a moment, and my wardrobe is at your disposal for a change of clothes."

"My word, such a considerate host."

"Learned from the best!" The hero winked before finally turning to leave.

G'raha slowly stood up, noting how the energy of the room had changed now that he was the only one in it. Surveying the wreckage around the bed, he managed to find those four missing hair clips in relatively short order, placing them on a shelf after he quickly realized he didn't exactly have pockets at the moment. G'raha looked down again and realized what a mess he'd made of his tunic. He took it off, wiping himself off on a dry spot, and delicately dropped it in a corner for the moment, not wanting to spread the mess anywhere else as he cleaned up. His smallclothes were… where _had_ they ended up? He picked through the cushions on the floor, placing them back on the bed, then started shaking out the blankets. His smalls fluttered to the floor and he swept them towards him with his foot, but since he had the blanket in his hands he figured he ought to fold that up first, and it was as he dropped it back on the bed, still naked as his nameday, that he heard the warrior of light call out to him.

"Raha, I forgot to ask," they reappeared in the doorway, wrapped in a towel. "Do you drink tea? Cof-ffff...ee?" They trailed off, eyes wide.

G'raha wasn't quite sure what to do. It wasn't anything they hadn't already seen, more or less, just not… all at once. In the full light of day. Covering up seemed futile, so he just… blushed, and shrugged. "Surprise me," he said.

So the warrior of light took two steps into the room and shrugged off the towel.

His first instinct was to try not to stare but G'raha quickly realized that they _very much_ intended for him to stare, so he allowed himself to take it all in. The scars, the curves, the places where the muscles were well-defined and the spots that were surprisingly soft.

After ensuring he'd gotten an eyeful they stepped forward again, closing the distance between them until the full length of their body was pressed against his, pinning him to the wall. Their skin was still warm from the shower, and as they leaned in to kiss him, soft and deep, he was overcome by the smell of roses. He started feeling weak in the knees.

Slowly, the warrior pulled away and draped the towel over G'raha's shoulders, not stepping back completely until they were sure he was steady on his feet. They smiled and continued their train of thought from earlier. "So. Left for hot water, right for cold, drain's always a little slow so pay it no mind. Don't really have 'guest soaps' so just use whatever catches your fancy. Breakfast'll take me at least twenty minutes to get together so don't feel like you have to hurry. Oh, and you can drop your shirt in with my laundry for now, we can handle it later." They studied G'raha's face for a moment, then side-eyed him. "Which way for hot water?"

He snapped out of his daze. "Ah. Left."

"Good. Wouldn't want you scalding yourself now." They kissed him again, then with a wicked grin reached back and gave his rear a quick squeeze before sauntering back out of the room, turning around once more to lean on the archway in their best pinup pose and wink. "See you, Raha~" they called out over their shoulder as they disappeared from view.

G'raha reached over for one of the water glasses and downed the remainder in one go, swallowing hard. What, he wondered, had he gotten himself into?

"Hello," said G'raha as he reached the top of the stairs and slowly walked over to the warrior of light, who stood in the kitchen, and made sure they were aware of his presence before he wrapped his arms around them from behind and peered over their shoulder. Cute as surprising them would have been, he didn't think it prudent to startle someone working over a hot stove.

"Hiii," they replied in a drawn-out, singsong sigh, tilting their head to rest on his. "I thought about doing the whole 'nothing but an apron' bit, but trying it while pan-frying something seemed like asking for trouble." Instead the warrior of light was wearing a long black apron over a white buttonup, sleeves rolled to the elbow and the top three buttons undone, purple plaid slacks, and house slippers. Carefully setting the pan down and turning the burner off, they turned to face him as he took a step back.

G'raha had borrowed from the warrior of light's wardrobe a pair of plain tan slacks, black socks, and a black cableknit sweater, the sleeves of which he was nervously fidgeting with as his host looked him up and down. Silent for a moment, they mustered their best Masked Rose impersonation with a reserved, approving nod, then broke into a grin and gave him a thumbs-up. "You look good!" They reached out to take both of his hands loosely in theirs, swinging them back and forth a bit as they continued. "Don't get me wrong, your usual look is great, but it's nice to see you in something simple like this." They shifted their hands, palm to palm with his, interlacing their fingers. "Without all the extra detail to draw the eye away, it's just. You." The warrior leaned forward and bumped their forehead against his as he blushed.

"You're too kind," he said, leaning forward to kiss them. They let go of his hands and brought their arms around him, and he did likewise.

"Mm," they murmured as they buried their face in his shoulder. "I didn't realize how cozy this sweater was from the outside. Might let you hang on to it…" They closed their eyes for a moment and breathed in deep. "Is that lavender?" It seemed the warrior of light was in danger of losing track of their surroundings before they abruptly stopped, stood up straight, and took a step back, still gently gripping him by the shoulders. "Okay. Okay. Food's going to get cold." They took another step back, letting go, and gestured to a stool on the other side of the kitchen's long counter. "Take a seat."

"Certainly," he said, and as G'raha made his way around the counter he glanced at the tank on the wall, its occupant once more looking him over, though much less critically now. He nodded in greeting as he passed. "Greg." The fish blinked once and then seemed to bob up and down in acknowledgement before turning its focus elsewhere.

The warrior of light took the stool on the opposite side and set down plates between them - La Noscean toast, and berry compote, with black tea and all the various accoutrements at the ready. "I still have a few eggs left over from making this," they said, "if you also wanted eggs. I wasn't sure how hungry you were."

"I believe this will be plenty, thank you." G'raha marveled at his plate as the warrior filled his teacup. "This looks amazing, I can't remember the last time I had it."

"Oh, I _lived_ off the stuff back in Limsa, when I was still studying to be an arcanist. Missed it so much when I moved to Gridania for archery, I started taking cooking lessons so I could recreate it."

G'raha took a bite and closed his eyes, smiling. "You've got it down to an art form. This is fantastic."

The warrior of light chuckled, it was their turn to blush a bit. "Thank you."

For a few quiet minutes the two of them enjoyed their meal. It was a comfortable silence, after a fashion, but hovering at the edges - threatening to push through - was a strange sort of tension not unlike the one that preceded the confession the night before. After a while the warrior of light glanced over G'raha's shoulder at the window, watching the rain come down. "Shame about the weather, would've been nice to eat out on the porch and enjoy the view."

Raising an eyebrow, G'raha recalled the warrior of light's instructions to Tataru the night before. "I thought you wanted to keep my presence here under wraps?"

"What?" They blinked. "Oh, that... I just wanted to stave off gossip. People jump to conclusions, I didn't want them deciding what we were before we did. But I wouldn't… I _couldn't_... I..."

They took a breath and it was as though the gates they'd been straining to hold back finally burst open. "I think, with the position you once held, you understand the necessity of having to keep strong emotions under wraps sometimes. Having to rein in fear, anger, and sorrow to keep on a brave face and not worry the ones who look to you for hope. And it's… it's not _good_ , or healthy, but I've learned to do it, because I've had to. But recently I realized that I'd started doing it when I was happy, too. Which is… I mean, it's asinine. But I was."

"I… when? Why?"

"..Remember when you woke up in the tower? And I had to leave abruptly? 'Suddenly called back to the Stones' or whatever?" They looked down at their hands. "Bullshit. But I found myself feeling so _overwhelmed_ , and I… I didn't want you to have to see it. I didn't want to overwhelm _you_ , especially when you'd just woken up. I was… elated, and relieved, and still a little worried not knowing how much of you made it over from the other side intact. And doing that.... in the moment, it made sense. But I've found myself still doing it. And it's not healthy, and it's not fair to you, but. But."

They forged on. "I'm… terrified. Of screwing things up. With you. I've had casual affairs, little flings here and there, and I've certainly been… unreserved, in matters of physical affection, but I haven't been seriously in love since before the Calamity. And I'm a completely different person now compared to that time, with completely different concerns, and on top of all that there's the fact that having you back in my life like this is a one-in-a-million miracle and... I don't know how to go about this without being just… completely unhinged. I've been scared of coming on too strong, too fast, of being too much, of finding out I'd completely misread how you felt about me, and I… how could I even begin to broach this? I didn't want to burden you. But I… I'm sorry. I didn't know how much longer I could keep hiding th--"

They were cut off by the sound of silverware clattering to the floor as G'raha abruptly stood up, leaned over the counter, and kissed them.

He leaned away, still standing, their chin in his hand, his eyes locked with theirs. When he spoke it was all genuine, but certain turns of phrase had a rehearsed rhythm to them - because he had in fact rehearsed them that morning in the shower, knowing a talk like this was coming.

"I want to be with you. I want to stay by your side, for as long as you'll have me. I've never been more certain of anything in my life. Please, don't worry about being too much - our circumstances don't exactly leave us room for half-measures anyway. I'm sorry this has distressed you so, and… gods know, I understand. But I want you, I want everything you're willing to give, and please, don't feel as though you have to hold anything back for my sake. If I'm ever uncomfortable I promise I'll tell you, and we'll talk it out, and I would hope you'll do the same. We can map out the shape of things as we go, and it may not be perfect, but it's a journey we'll take together. There is nothing in this world I would rather do than write a new future with you." He paused a moment, his serious expression softening. "If… if that's all right."

The warrior of light was smiling, sniffling, tears brimming in their eyes that overflowed as they tried to say something but could only nod. G'raha gently wiped the tears from their eyes and hopped over an empty stretch of counter to join them on their side, kneeling down to hold them. Bringing their head to rest under his chin, he spoke reassuringly as he stroked their hair. "I know not where the road ahead may take us, but for a single constant: in this world or any other, now and evermore, you need never doubt my love for you."

Arms tight around his waist, weeping softly into his chest, the warrior of light's voice was just north of a whisper. "I love you so much. I love you I love you I love you.." They trailed off, started crying a little harder.

G'raha knelt a little lower, lifted their head, kissed their forehead, their cheek, their lips. Slowly the warrior of light managed to pull themself together, kissed him back, and then the two of them just gazed at each other for a moment in silence, smiling.

"..ah. Sorry about the forks." G'raha cast a sheepish glance at the floor beside him.

"It's okay," they replied, wiping one last stray tear away. "I was going to draft you into helping with dishes either way."

"Gladly!" G'raha laughed. He kissed them once more on the head before standing up to walk back around the counter and return to his seat while the warrior pulled some new silverware out of a drawer. The two of them ate in a truly comfortable silence for a while, until the warrior of light's expression shifted. They froze in place a moment, as though something had just now struck them, and then frowned.

"Shit. Hells. I forgot." They cast an apologetic glance toward G'raha who sat there, baffled. "I have business to take care of in the First. I promised Ryne… it's the situation in the Empty. I'm due to leave tomorrow." The look in their eyes was genuinely pained. "I feel awful working all of this out and then immediately… going somewhere you can't follow… I'm so sorry. The timing couldn't be worse."

G'raha gave a bittersweet smile. "...it can't be helped. But it makes my heart glad to know you're still helping out over there, I shan't begrudge you for it."

They reached across the counter and took his hand. "I'll come back as soon as I can. I swear it. And today, I'm still here. I'm yours and yours alone." The warrior of light gave a sultry smile. "Your wish is my command."

G'raha smirked back, raising an eyebrow. "My goodness, not since leaving the tower have I had such power entrusted to me. T'would be a terrible waste not to exercise its full potential…"

The warrior of light's face split into a wicked grin. "You get it."

G'raha's expression mirrored theirs, tail slowly swishing back and forth. "Oh, I'm about to." And with that, as the warrior laughed, he vaulted over the counter once again.

### Epilogue

Three days had passed in the Source when Feo Ul appeared in G'raha's study, smiling. When they spoke it was with genuine warmth, but also just the slightest teasing lilt. "Your sweetheart sent me ahead to say they're coming home soon."

He looked up from his book, positively beaming. "Full glad am I to see you, your majesty, and bearing such good tidings besides."

"'Tis good to see you hale and whole as well!" The pixie replied. "And 'tis good to see that the both of you finally got your heads on straight."

G'raha laughed. "I shan't argue with you there." He paused a moment. "Oh! Might I trouble you to take something back to them?" He took a scrap of paper and quickly sketched something - a little map, pointing out a specific hidden corner in the Syrcus Trench. "Tell them I'll be waiting for them here."

"Oh!!" Feo did a giddy twirl in the air as they took the note from G'raha's hand. "A lovers' rendezvous, how _exciting!_ Of course, dear, I'll make sure they know where to find you."

"My deepest thanks, dear friend. I know not where I would be without you."

Feo Ul started to flutter off, then paused.

"Your garden continues to thrive, you know." They caught themself. "Ah, I should let you hear the news from _dron sul-r sigun_ [your precious flower of light], though. Farewell!" And in a glimmer, they vanished.

At the appointed spot, a little niche tucked out of sight unless one knew where to look, G'raha waited. He'd prepared a small bouquet - purple oldroses, mostly, with some other blooms mixed in as well. To keep himself from pacing, he'd been leaning against a wall, but practically leapt forward when he heard the warrior of light approach.

And there they were, not much worse for wear, G'raha's scarf looped around their neck. Their eyes were red and already brimming with tears once again, but their smile was so wide, and they laughed when they saw G'raha's gift, as they were clutching a bundle of flowers for him as well. He was glad to see them, but perplexed as to why they seemed _this_ emotional. How long had they been crying? What happened?

"Raha… oh, Raha, I wish I could take you there, it's so beautiful, I.." they were already choking up again. "I brought a little of it to you.." and they held out their flowers, gold and blue and delicate white, they were-- not ones G'raha had seen before. Not alive, anyway. They looked like ones he'd seen only in books, catalogued from the world that was lost in the flood.  
"How did you… where did these come from?"

They threw their arms around him, dissolving into messy sobs of joy. "They DID it, Raha, they did it, they're going to be okay… it's all starting to come back, it's so beautiful, new life, a future… they're going to be okay… I wanted so badly for you to be there with me, to see it with your own eyes.. they're going to be okay…"

Tears began to make their way down G'raha's face. He gently pulled the warrior of light down to the ground with him, and took their flowers and set them aside, next to his, and then he sat the warrior in his lap and the two of them held each other and cried. G'raha was overcome with tears of joy but the warrior of light dissolved into great, wracking sobs, not just joy from this but relief, like a weight had lifted, like no matter what happened next they'd at least secured hope for one world. For the world Raha had loved for so long, and they had come to love in turn. The two of them stayed like this for some time, and if any stray Son of Coinach happened to hear, they'd had the sense not to pry.

As the warrior calmed down a bit and caught their breath, they started to tell G'raha the details of what had transpired in the Empty, all the while still sitting in his lap, idly weaving one of the stalks of white flowers through the clips in G'raha's hair. By the time they were done it was dark, the stars were out, and as they discovered when the two of them tried to get up, G'raha's legs had fallen asleep. The warrior of light laughed, picked up both bundles of flowers in one hand, then swept him up into their arms and princess-carried him out of the trench. And it was like this that the two of them carried on, under a gorgeous night sky with the glow of the Crystal Tower behind them, heading to the Rising Stones and the future. Their future. Together.


End file.
